Chelsea have announced the signing of 18-year-old midfielder Andrey Santos from Vasco da Gama for €12.5m.
The Brazilian made his club debut at just 17, as a late substitute in the Campeonato Carioca, a tournament for teams in the local area of Rio de Janeiro.
He plays in a box-to-box midfield role in which he regularly contributes goals and assists.
His league debut came on the final day of the 2021 season before he became a more prominent figure in the 2022 campaign just finished.
Santos helped them to promotion to the top flight with a third-place finish in Serie B, during which he played 33 times and scored eight goals.
“It’s a very big opportunity for me,” Andrey Santos said after he was confirmed as the latest Chelsea signing. “This is a big club playing in big competitions like the Premier League so I am very excited. The players here are so good and I am very happy to be here.”
Born in Rio, Brazil, Santos has represented his national team up to Under-20 level ahead of his move to London.
Prior to Santos’ signing, the Blues also signed French defender Benoit Badiashile this winter transfer window with their sights set on securing the signature of other players.
Chelsea have made it clear that their vision is to assemble a crop of young talents from all over the world but it remains to be seen how they will be utilised. Will they be loaned out or can they make their way into the starting XI? Time will tell.
Graham Potter will be feeling the heat as the Blues continue to struggle for form. The piling up of injuries will no doubt add to his frustration but their business in the winter market should bring him some relief.
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